too proud to pay a mean guy $5 for his "trash"

so i'm standing in the alley, helping a friend move stuff into his place, when suddenly a dumpster garbage truck backs up to us from the street. what do i behold atop the most recently collected trash in the truck's bin but a schwinn letour frame and fork (and most else except wheels) in visibly good condition. it was like fate itself was commanding me to fixie up this bike.

until the garbage guy came round back from the driver's cabin.

concerned that he might freak out if i just reach in, i ask "hey, can i take this bike?" to which he responds "if you pay me." i give him a suprised smile, to which he keeps his deadpan expression and sour attitude and responds "i'm serious." still smiling, i ask "well, how much do you want?" and he responds, still deadpan, "five bucks." so i consider it for a second. i tell him "it's yours" and casually get back to my business.

now, most bike folks acting rationally would easily hand over the five bucks and grab the frame with a smile. but i just didn't want to make a mean guy five dollars better off for helping him unload some of his "trash", even if the trash was my treasure. it was an emotional decision, i know, in that we would both lose out economically but i'd at least keep my pride in not helping out this guy i didn't respect. but, of course, i still waver between regret and pride.

did i do the right thing? is there a garbage truck etiquette that i'm not aware of, which holds that even the "trash" the garbage workers think is trash can be for sale to those who value it? or should the guy have just been cool about the frame and told me "yeah, take it--it's trash."

Technically the trash becomes the property of the trash collection company. Until that point it's the property of the homeowner. But whatever.

Sure, he should have given you the frame for nothing. It was obviously no skin off his back. On the other hand, you're disrupting his routine and he figures it's a good way to make a couple of bucks. I mean while he's selling you something he doesn't own, you're asking him to give you something for nothing.

Who's in the wrong? If I wanted it, I would have given the $5. I mean it's just $5.

The dude was within his rights to ask for $5, HOWEVER, that does not absolve him for being a dick about it.

I wouldn't have paid him either. What's to keep him from just taking stuff, and holding it for ransom in the back of his stanky truck? Best nip this problem in the bud, after all, if the United States of America does not negotiate with terrorists, why should you?

Originally Posted by Dr Irwin Goldstein

Men should never ride bicycles. Riding should be banned and outlawed. It is
the most irrational form of exercise I could ever bring to discussion.

maybe I missed something but what exactly did the guy do to disrespect you? Iím sure the guy was loaded and was asking for $5 to be a dick. Seriously, if this is the worst thing that happened in your life today, consider yourself fortunate.

Man, pride and ego are overrated. I've been busting my ass trying to find ANY decent frame around here to fix up, and it's been a huge pain. If it was a decent frame, I would have GLADLY handed him 20$ for it.

You have your "pride" and now a bike that could have ridden the streets again is going into the trash heap, and you're out a frame.

But, then again, I'm definitely not you, and as illogical as the decision might have been, it was a strongheaded one, and there's nothing wrong with being a little strongheaded...

Sorry to maybe try and overanalyze you for a sec, sw/os, but maybe it wasn't just your pride working here. Maybe it was a certain conviction on your part that you shouldn't validate such blindly crappish behavior.

Personally, given my big mouth and somewhat sour disposition, I would have taken this as an opportunity to give him a small lecture and at the same time, try and soften him up a bit: "REALLY? Are you kidding? It's merely trash, I'm offering to unburden you a bit, maybe even make your job a little easier, and you're actually trying to make money off of it? Man, I can't believe I actually thought you might be cool! Guess I was wrong. That's so uncool." Sounds ridiculous, but guilt is a weapon employed my moms the world over and throughout history to great effect.

Then, if he were to respond with some further dickishness, I'd proceed with Twiz's strategy. But the best position to get yourself into is him walking away from you and not vice versa. Basically, then, you're looking at a guy who is not only rejecting an opportunity to be nice for a sec, but who's also too dumb to make anything off of a piece of trash that he's going to have to deal with later anyway.

[color=darkgreen]Personally, given my big mouth and somewhat sour disposition, I would have taken this as an opportunity to give him a small lecture and at the same time, try and soften him up a bit: "REALLY? Are you kidding? It's merely trash, I'm offering to unburden you a bit, maybe even make your job a little easier, and you're actually trying to make money off of it? Man, I can't believe I actually thought you might be cool! Guess I was wrong. That's so uncool." Sounds ridiculous, but guilt is a weapon employed my moms the world over and throughout history to great effect.

If I were the trashman in this case, had you said it to me, I would have hit the compress button. Well, no, I would have the bike in the CAB of the truck. But, in reality, I'd do what it takes to piss you off completely.

The reality being, he wanted 5 bucks. It's reasonable. You expect something for free, at any moment, from a complete stranger, you, are unreasonable.

Given that the original poster was mad because the driver wasn't nice, let me ask you something.

Did you want customer service from a guy who picks up **** all day long? Are you that ****ing ********?

If I were the trashman in this case, had you said it to me, I would have hit the compress button. Well, no, I would have the bike in the CAB of the truck. But, in reality, I'd do what it takes to piss you off completely.

The reality being, he wanted 5 bucks. It's reasonable. You expect something for free, at any moment, from a complete stranger, you, are unreasonable.

Given that the original poster was mad because the driver wasn't nice, let me ask you something.

Did you want customer service from a guy who picks up **** all day long? Are you that ****ing ********?

To the poster:Did you consider it your right to receive customer service from a guy who picks up other people's refuse all day long? Are you mentally challenged, or do you honestly feel you have that right?

the OP didn't talk about "rights" , he just said he didn't respect the guys candor. he asked a simple question, the guy didn't budge, he was taken back, and then went about his business. i wouldn't have paid him either.

the OP didn't talk about "rights" , he just said he didn't respect the guys candor. he asked a simple question, the guy didn't budge, he was taken back, and then went about his business. i wouldn't have paid him either.

You're right, he didn't. But the question remains, what did he expect from a guy who gets paid very a very average wage to do something that is A) Dangerous, B) Crappy C)At times laden with corruption?

Sometimes, the approach is everything. It is my assumption, and I could be wrong, that the approach was not done with the manner which is portrayed here. Certainly his demeanor toward the guy could be seen as not to friendly. Perhaps, we can look at it from the Trash collector's point of view.

Originally Posted by Trash Man

So there I am, in the alley, doing my rounds. The radio has been blaring all day and my back is killing me. The same person had a 40 pound can full of used cat litter and when you dump that @#$# you get @#$y dust all over yourself. Man, if I had only finished college. Anyway day is half done, Iím behind because every jerk in a SUV has cut me off only to double park. Iíll have to finish and possible not get over time. Add to that, I just got done arguing with some jerk who was mad because I wonít take 10 gallons of motor oil.. ďno one will find outĒ. Sure sure.. I get fined for that ****. Some guy comes up to me yelling out loud, like I canít here ďHey can I have that bike in the back of your truckĒ. Now, I can get fired for this, people climbing on my truck. Heís clean as whistle and Iím just about to go. But, hey, the guy wantís a bike, itíll go to good use, maybe for his kid or something. So I tell him ďsure, if you pay me..Ē. Iím late, and he looks at me like Iím some sort of freak. The guy looks like heís got cash, and I didnít bring lunch money today, and when jerk in the SUV swerved in front of me, my lunch got chucked on the floor so Iím starving. He looks at me like Iím some sort of used car salesmen trying to sell him a warranty. So I tell him Iím serious. He ask how much and I figure 5 bucks is fair. Iíve seen the bikes going for 25 Ė 50 in the stores, and itís one of them old Schwinns like I used to want when I was a kid, not them cheasey new ones. He gives me that look like I should just let him rummage through the back. Iíd get fired for letting people do that and Iím late. People.. donít know about them sometimes. Figure that since Iím trash guy I should be happy they talk to me.

You're right, he didn't. But the question remains, what did he expect from a guy who gets paid very a very average wage to do something that is A) Dangerous, B) Crappy C)At times laden with corruption?

Actually, considering the hours they work, trash collectors receive quite a good wage. If they work for local municipalities, they're also unionized and that gives them lots of benefits and time off. If they work for a private contractor, chances are that they're paid well and have decent hours, and probably not there as a permanent worker. I'd rather do trash collection than janitorial work anytime. I've had friends who worked in trash collection, and while they wouldn't describe it as a dream job, they also found it fairly lucrative.

I think you're kind of selling the garbage man short here. Just because a person deals in trash, one should not assume that they're going to be sour or resentful. I'd say postal workers are probably worse.

Originally Posted by williamkarsten

Sometimes, the approach is everything. It is my assumption, and I could be wrong, that the approach was not done with the manner which is portrayed here. Certainly his demeanor toward the guy could be seen as not to friendly. Perhaps, we can look at it from the Trash collector's point of view.

Actually, it kind of just sounded like the guy was copping attitude, and maybe even trying to f#!k with the OP's head. As I stated above, the OP probably could have worked him a little more, played the friendly, chatty neighborhood dude. Why do you think being direct about asking for a little kindness would immediately engender a nasty reaction? In my experience, people, no matter who they are, don't like feeling mean when a stranger's just being friendly and direct.

A simple greeting in advance of the OP's request probably wouldn't have hurt, and could have paid a nice dividend. But it didn't sound like he was playing the 'spoiled brat,' either. You're jumping to a lot of conclusions and reading a lot into this scenario that wasn't really related, WK. The above tirade sure seems disproportional to the OP. You're doing the equivalent of online bellowing.